NQA quilts

Here are some of the amazing quilts I saw at NQA:

Thanks,
Lin

EQ7 Block 2

Here is my block 2 for the EQ Jump Start.

It is an easy block to make. The real lesson comes in navigating EQ7. But I'm finding that it is telling me to make twice as many HSTs (Half Square Triangles) as is needed. It said to cut 8 turquoise squares. Then I drew my line and that made me 16 HSTs. I don't understand what I'm doing wrong. Anybody?

Thanks,
Lin

NQA

Perhaps no one has noticed I haven't been around in a while. I noticed.

I was in Columbus, Ohio, for the National Quilt Association's Show. My BQFF (Best Quilty Friend Forever) and I signed up for several classes. We were notified that one of them cancelled. Unfortunately, I had already bought my fabric. Rather annoying. We couldn't find another class in the same time slot we liked, so we chose to take that time off to see the show. Last year, we did not leave ourselves enough time to see the vendors and quilts. This year we had plenty of time.

NQA usually is the end of June. This year it got changed to Memorial Day weekend. Not a good time for a quilt show. I guess because the dates were changed fairly late in the game, there weren't as many vendors as usual. Very few stores, no batting companies, few people demo-ing new ways to do binding, etc. Their new miracle method of binding. Can be fun to watch.

The machine companies were all there, Superior Threads, YLI threads. I wanted to buy some Hobbs and some Quilter's Dream battings. I saved money! My husband will be happy about that!

A lot of the classed got cancelled because of not having enough people sign up. Pat and I signed up for a quilting class that said "longarm." But made it clear you didn't need a longarm to do the designs she was going to teach. I feel they charged a longarm price for the class. It ended up really being a lecture class, with a longarm machine set up in front, that you could play on if you wanted. Few people did. I learned things, but I think it was drastically misrepresented. I have lodged a complaint. We'll see what happens.

Sorry this is a text only post.

Here's a picture of my dog and one of "my" orioles. If you have orioles in your yard, check if they have jelly breath. If they do, it's one of mine. Send it home.

Thanks,
Lin

Supernova, First Warm Block

I'm so excited! I got my first block from Pam. Wow, such fun. What great fabrics.
I showed my block to some quilters today. They commented that they would have a hard time not having the stripes go in the same direction on the outermost fabric. Doesn't bother me too much.

Here's mine again:

There, see the stripes? I think Kaffe's fabrics are so busy, that it isn't so noticeable as it might be with other designers.

Here's the block from Pam:

And here they are, playing nicely together:

I love how some colors are showing in both locks. There's a bit of magenta in mine, more in hers. She's got some aqua, so do I. Bit of orange. I think that's because we chose the same designer. I certainly can't take credit for that...
So glad Pam suggested that gray. I think it's perfect!
I'm excited, can you tell?

Thanks,
Lin

First Supernova Block

I worked on my first Supernova Block tonight! The first one took quite a bit of time, what with stitching, unstitching, stitching, unstitching. The directions have a solid green as their background fabric, and I have a solid green, not background fabric. I kept getting mixed up. I had to make myself a cheat sheet.

Here's my first block. When I make Pam's, the points should come out a little better, being a little used to it.

WOWSERS! I like it!
Hope Pam will too.

Thanks,
Lin

Supernova and Exercise. Why do I like one better than the other?

I joined in the Supernova Friendship Swap. You can read all about it Here. It is being hosted by Late Night Quilter and sounds like great fun tome. We joined up with a partner and we will each make 2 identical blocks a month for 5 months, send one of the two to our partner. At the end, we'll each have 10 blocks--5 we made ourselves and 5 our partner made.

My partner is Pam. Turns out she lives about 2 hours away, but I didn't know her. It feels nice to be making new friends. We discussed how we wanted to make our blocks, colors, styles, etc. I've been wanting to work with Kaffe Fassett prints, so we easily decided upon that. Pam will be concentrating on the warm colors, and I get the cool ones. Using gray as our background color.







I ordered my Kaffe's from Canton Village Fabrics. Very quick service. I'm happy. Here are my Kaffe's:

Just look at those beautiful, rich saturated colors!

I also got some shot cottons to add to the Kaffes.

Beautiful, no?

Our background is Kona cotton ash, a light gray.

I've printed off my directions and I'm ready to get started.

---

I don't like to exercise. I'm a couch potato. I admit it.

Last year, I made myself learn to run. I followed the 8 Weeks to 5K program. It took me more than 8 weeks to be able to run 30 minutes at a time. I struggled. Then came winter, snow, cold, Christmas (not necessarily in that order). I stopped running. So it was 8 weeks (really 12 weeks) to 5K, and then about 0 weeks to couch potato.

I'm confessing this all because I have started back up. Two weeks ago I started walking with the dog every morning, then last week I ran three times. That's what the program recommends. I huffed and puffed. The Big Bad Wolf's got nothing on me! I ran today.

Weird tho. It doesn't make me sleep any better.

I am also taking a golf class for women. Had the first one today. I try too hard. Don't swing so hard, and I hit the ball better. Got to remember this.

Thanks,
Lin

Mug Rugs!

I received my Mug Rugs from Dianna in Las Vegas. They're beautiful! She also included some blue fabrics (bigger than fat quarters!) and a needle card. I think she knows I like blue.

Here's what she sent me:

Here's a close-up of the red tulips because I just love that dark red. Isn't it cool, how the fabric of the basket makes it look like there's a shadow under the yellow flowers?

And here's the needle book she sent. It looks like something my mother would've had. Or maybe my grandmother. I love it! And my blue fabrics. I guess Dianna gave me the blues....

Here's a picture of what I sent her:

The only hand stitching I did was the flight of the butterfly.

Thanks,
Lin

Nature and EQ7

I have some nature shots today. My daffodils are just so great this year! The whole circle garden is filled with them. In the center is a weeping cherry tree, and it has come into bloom now too. A whole chorus of wonderfulness.

     I received Electric Quilt 7 (EQ7) as a birthday gift. I've never owned any of the EQ's before so I have a learning curve. Luckily for me, the EQ blog, Do You EQ, is having a Jump Start for EQ7 that started last week. Every two weeks, we will have a new lesson and then produce a block.

Here is my first block:

I like to learn by doing something, and have written back up. So this is great. The lessons walk you thru each step, and then you have to do it. I also have the written lesson to refer to.

---

Next week I go to National Quilt Association's quilt show in Columbus, Ohio. Twenty years ago, or so, I lived in Ohio, and met a like-minded quilter named Pat. We went to a show in Virginia together from there all those years ago. Then our husbands each got transferred to new jobs, and we each left Ohio. We reconnected last year and planned on going to the Columbus show together---after no contact for 15 years! We had such a good time together, just like we had never been apart. So that's who I'll be meeting up with again this year. We've become so close. Such a good thing.

So...
Thanks,
Lin

Batik Table topper

I joined  Annie's Creative Quilters Fabric Club. So every month you get a collection of fabric, and a pattern. Here are the fabrics I got this month:

And the package:

You can just see on the packge the finished product. Here's mine. Well, it's not finished yet. Needs batting, etc. I will also make coasters.

It's about 31" point to point. I enjoy trying out different projects that I wouldn't ordinarily pick for myself.
I think this will be quite stunning.
Thinking how I will quilt it now. The hardest part for me is deciding how to quilt something. I have a sketch book of filler designs I've practiced. And lots of pages of feathers.

Thanks,
Lin

Bleeding

I had no idea that thread could bleed color too! I used "Coats Machine Quilting and Crafts Multicolor Mercerized Cotton" thread that I had in stash on my batting samples. I love the colors. They popped.

But when I washed them, I had most of them a pale green/aqua color. Rewashed them with a color catcher sheet, and they turned out white. Whew! At least it wasn't a special project for somebody. If I had not been able to get the color out, I wouldn't have been too upset.

My daffodils are wonderful.

I think we finally have spring!

Thanks, 

Lin

The Results Are In!

I posted here about my practice with different Hobbs battings. I bought a sample pack a year ago and finally did my research. I did different quilting patterns on each type of batting. I also included Warm and Natural, which I have been using, but haven't been satisfied with lately. It got to much like a board. I also got a
free (!) sample of Dream Green.
I washed and dried all of the samples.

Heirloom Natural with Scrim:

Pre wash

Post wash

Heirloom & Tuscany Bleached Cotton

Post wash

Pre wash

Heirloom Natural and Tuscany Unbleached Cotton:

Post-wash

pre wash

Heirloom Premium Cotton Blend:   The pre wash picture is MIA 

Post wash

Heirloom 80/20 Black:   The pre wash picture is MIA

post wash

Heirloom 80/20 Bleached Cotton:

post wash

Pre wash

Heirloom 80/20 Fusible Cotton:

Post wash

Pre wash

post wash

Heirloom & Tuscany Washable Wool:

Pre wash

Tuscany Silk:  The pre wash picture is MIA.

Post wash

Thermore:   The pre wash picture is MIA

Post wash

Polydown:   The pre wash picture is MIA

Post wash

Tuscany Polyester:   The pre wash picture is MIA

Post wash

Warm and Natural:   No pre wash picture

Post wash

And Dream Green:  No pre wash picture available.

Post wash

Big Question:
What would I want to use again? I think my vote goes to Polydown. I like the way it *feels*--drapy, soft, puffy. I really like the flowers I did too. The silk has a wonderful feel also.
Least favorite for regular use? Warm and Natural. I have to use up the ones I have tho.

Long post today.

Thanks,
Lin